What's Done is Done
by wendykw
Summary: Martha has a visitor a few days before Rick and Kate get married.
1. Chapter 1

A/N: My first Fan Fiction in decades.

Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters. They belong to Andrew Marlowe and ABC.

She was relaxing on the new sofa, the fire taking the chill out of the loft's air. Richard had snapped up the small loft in his building when it hit the market. She didn't ask him to buy it, but he insisted that it would be perfect for her to be in the same building as them. Despite all his complaints about her years living with him, it was evident he wanted her to remain close by. He said he wanted to be sure she was safe.

Her new living quarters were still a work in progress. Along with the time spent on the preparations for the wedding, she and Kate had spent fun hours browsing flea markets, furniture stores and boutiques to furnish the space. Richard had been surprised at the neutrality of the colors she had chosen. Well, she couldn't have an apartment that clashed with her wardrobe. That just wouldn't do.

In a few days, Richard and Katherine would legally become husband and wife. She had always hoped her little boy would find a partner in life, an enduring love like she never had. You always want happiness for your child. She was so grateful for the joy that Katherine brought her son.

A knock at the door interrupted her reverie, and she set her glass of wine on the end table. She didn't expect anyone, so she checked the peephole before she opened the door.

"I never thought I'd see you again," Martha whispered as she opened the door.

"I missed Richard's other weddings. I wasn't going to miss his last one," the father of her son said as he stepped into the apartment. "I knew it wouldn't last with Gina, and the wedding with Meredith happened so quickly I couldn't get here in time."

As they walked to the seating area, he absorbed the space. He committed it to memory like so many details of her life. It was a life he would never be able to share. She motioned to the sofa, and he sat on the cushion next to hers. She raised her glass and an eyebrow, silently asking him if he wanted some wine. He just shook his head.

"You have been keeping an eye on us, you told Richard. It would have been nice to know that during the DECADES." She emphasized the last word to let him know she still harbored the pain. "Are you going to make an appearance at the wedding or lurk in the background?"

"If possible, I will don a disguise and mingle with the guests. I never want to put my family in danger again. Paris has made me even more cautious than I ever was before. If I have any inkling that it's going to be dangerous for any of you, I will watch from a distance. I have some toys at my disposal, that will make that easy." He sighed a little and gazed out the window at the lights of the city as he spoke. A look of sadness, maybe regret, flitted quickly across his face.

Martha noted his hidden pain and spoke calmly. "Tell me something. How did you know that Richard was your son? How did you even find out he had been born? After four decades, I think I deserve some answers."

"You are a public persona. Broadway actresses aren't that hard to find," he replied with a small smile. "It was easy to determine that Richard was mine. I did the math, and you did name him after me."

"Was Alexander you're real name or the false identity of the day?"

"Martha, what we had that night was more than magical, it was real. I gave you my real name. The CIA had wiped all traces of my birth name from the public record. You couldn't have found me with that name. I didn't want to leave you or hurt you, but my job made it impossible to stay. It was too dangerous for you and for Richard."

"I'm sure your country is grateful," she sighed with a tinge of bitterness.

"My country doesn't even acknowledge my existence. I've given it my whole life, given up any chance for a family life, given up my chance for love and happiness. It's not a decision I would make again in hindsight, but I can't change it now. What's done is done." Alexander almost whispered the final sentence.

After a moment of waiting to see if he would continue, Martha spoke. "I have no regrets about that night. My greatest joy and deepest love was born of that night….our son. He's a good man and a loving rascal, who has brought me sleepless nights and innumerable moments of happiness. I'm sad for you. Sad that you missed out on what has been my deepest source of joy. I may not have been the best mother, but I tried. Somehow, he grew into a son any mother would be proud of. Somehow he became a father any child would treasure, even though he was denied the experience of having one of his own." She paused and took a sip of her wine. "Does Richard know you're here?"

"No. I didn't want to be a distraction. The time I was in New York for the Gemini case, I could tell that my presence opened old wounds in him. If not for Paris, I would never have told him who I am." Alex paused, sighed and continued. "I have watched you both from afar. I even stood in line for him to sign a copy of Storm Rising. I keep it in a safe deposit box in DC. I've been to a few of your plays, but I always sat in the balcony. I was mesmerized by your performance every time. It pained me to leave the theater each time. It pains me to leave your presence every time, even though you have no idea that I am there." Alex had stood and walked to stare out the window as he spoke.

"This weekend is their weekend, the beginning of their forever. Don't spoil that for them. Richard didn't have any expectations of seeing you during his other weddings. I am sure he hopes you show up for this one. Find some way to let him know that you are here, but don't disrupt Katherine's moment. She deserves for her day to be what she dreams. Detectives Ryan and Esposito will be at the wedding, and in their minds you are a wanted fugitive. If they see you, they will try to arrest you," Martha cautions him.

Alex turns back to Martha from the window. "I sent Richard a copy of Casino Royale after Paris. I assume he knew that meant I had survived?" Martha nods at his words. "I have a copy of Live and Let Die that I would like you to give him on his wedding day. Would you do that for me? I want him to know that I'm here in the city, but I don't want him to look for me. You know him. What should I do?"

"Do you have the book with you?" After Alex shakes his head, Martha questions him, "Will it be arriving by messenger or mail?"

Alex returns to his place on the couch. "A delivery will arrive here tomorrow."

"I'll give it to him when I think the time is right. It will probably be the day before the wedding. I'm not going to tell him that you are possibly one of the guests. It would just make him search the crowd for you. I'll let him think you are watching from a distance. If you do attend the ceremony, don't let him see you, please." The last had a tone of imploring that Alex didn't miss.

"I understand the security for the ceremony and reception are going to be tight. The number of guests is much lower than I had anticipated. I may not be able to blend in as easily as I had originally planned. It's a really small wedding for someone of Richard's fame," Alex looked to Martha for some insight.

"Katherine wanted it to be family and friends only. The mayor and some author friends of Richard's will be there, but no one from Black Pawn. Paula, his agent, did make the list. It's a small gathering of people that are important to them. Gina and Meredith are not invited." Martha emphasized the "not" with a smile.

"Would you let me kiss you before I go?" Alex questioned with a look of hope.

"What's done is done. We can't go back, but a kiss and an embrace would not be unwelcome." Martha stood as she spoke.

Alex stood and held her close. They both savored the feeling of the other tight against them. He kissed her with decades of longing and love. It wasn't fierce, but gentle and magnificent. "I never stopped loving you. Never."

"I was the lucky one. I had the symbol of our love as the center of my world. Thank you for that. There are no regrets. How could I regret a night of love that created him. You weren't the greatest love of my life. Richard is." Martha felt a single tear trail down her cheek. "I'll give him the book." She gazed up at him for a moment. "Will I ever see you again?"

"If I'm lucky, we'll see each other again. If not, you'll hear from my attorney about the estate." Alex took Martha's hand after he spoke. "I tried to help you while Richard was small. Did you notice the discrepancies in your bank account periodically?"

Martha smiled at him, "I wondered who my secret benefactor was. It was always a surprise to see those cash deposits in my account. It took a couple of years for me to notice they mostly occurred close to Richard's birthday or around the anniversary of our night. It was a little painful to think they could be from you. I wanted more from you than just money." Another tear escaped from her eye as she looked at him. " I wanted you."

"I wanted you. I still want you." He paused as he pondered his next words, "What's done is done. Good night, Martha." Alex started for the door, but turned back, "Thank you. Even though I wasn't able to be a presence in his life, I knew I had a son. He's a good man. Thank you."

After a peck on the cheek and a quick embrace, he left. Martha sat back on the sofa, sipped her wine and let the tears fall silently.


	2. Chapter 2

A/N: Sorry for the delay. Real life got in the way.

Disclaimer: All characters belong to Andrew Marlowe and ABC.

As Martha was drinking her smoothie the next morning, the house phone rang. "Ms. Rodgers, there's a courier here with a package for you. He won't let me sign for it," Eduardo informed her.

"It's not a problem. I'll be down in just a minute," Martha told the doorman cheerily.

Grabbing her purse, Martha headed for the lobby. She was very certain she knew whom the package was from. She signed for it, tipped the courier, thanked Eduardo and returned to her apartment. She opened the padded manila envelope to find a signed, first edition of "Live and Let Die." "Well, that must have cost Alex a few bucks." A small note was paper-clipped to the cover. Martha tucked it in her pocket. There was a cryptic note tucked inside the cover. That note was for Richard.

Martha picked up her phone and dialed her son's number. "Hello, Mother, how are you doing this morning?" Richard answered after only one ring.

"Richard, I had an unexpected visitor last night and received a package this morning from that same person. I need you to come down here, when you have an opportunity to stay a few minutes to talk, please."

"How did someone get in that you weren't expecting? I have extra security on the building to keep out the paparazzi, and the doormen all know to be extra careful this week," Rick responded hurriedly with a note of anxiety in his voice.

"Kiddo, just come down here. None of your security could have seen this visitor. Think a moment, and you'll catch on."

"Wait, what? Oh! I'll be down in just a minute. Should I bring Kate with me?" Rick asked.

"Whatever you think is best, dear. Don't rush. I don't have to go anywhere." Martha assured him.

Half an hour later, Rick and Kate arrived at Martha's apartment. Kate held Rick's hand as he tapped softly on the door. "Come on in, you two. I know you must be really busy today, since we all go up to the Hamptons tomorrow," Martha greeted them as she opened the door to let them in. Rick gave her a peck on the cheek, and the two women hugged. No one spoke until after Martha had closed the door.

"Mother, was my father here last night?"

"Yes, dear, he was. He only stayed a short time. He said he would be watching over the wedding with his high tech gadgets. He also told me he would be sending you this," Martha handed Rick the book. "There's a note inside."

Rick sat on the sofa with the book, and Kate sat next to him. They looked at each other, and Rick opened the book. The note said, "Start on the page H & R first connected."

"Mother, do you have any clue what this means?"

Before Martha could respond, Kate spoke up, "Babe, try page 105." Rick raised an eyebrow as he smiled crookedly at Kate. He opened the book to page 105. Scanning the page, they both noticed tiny dots under a few letters. "Martha, could you give us a pen and paper?"

"Of course, hang on just a minute." Martha walked to the phone and picked up the pad and pen that she kept there. She handed them to Kate.

"Rick, read out the letters that have dots under them." Kate wrote the letters down on the paper, but they didn't seem to mean anything. She and Rick shared a confused look. After a minute Rick noted, "Some of these letters have 2 dots under them. Let's separate those from the others."

With Rick's guidance, Kate circled the letters that had been annotated with 2 dots. The remaining letters still didn't spell out anything obvious. The circled letters read: "I've always been proud."

"Do you think he used the single dot letters as a smokescreen for the message?" Rick asked softly, trying to hide his emotions that had been stirred by the message. "Or maybe…." Rick pulled out his iPhone and did a web search. "Read those other letters off to me."

"Rick, what did you find on the internet?" Kate asked.

"It's a website that let's you make words and phrases from names or just a bunch of random letters. I've used it before for research. Read the letters off to me, please." Rick typed in the letters that Kate read to him. "The first option the website has makes no sense, but this one here might be it. I can just rearrange these words. There, it says: 'Tweet Live or Let Die if you need me.' I guess he follows me on twitter," Rick smiled broadly as he spoke. "Mother, what did you two talk about? If you care to share."

"He was only here for a few minutes. We had a moment," Martha paused, and her eyes glistened with emotion. Rick stood and enveloped her in his embrace. "Let's just leave it at that, Kiddo. He said that since you're having a small wedding, he didn't think he could sneak in unnoticed. He has gadgets that he can watch the wedding with. He said he didn't want to miss your final wedding." She smiled at Kate from within Rick's arm that now circled her shoulders.

"This is definitely going to be his last wedding. I'll make sure of that," Kate smiled as she looked at her fiancé.

"Do you want to come upstairs with us, Mother?" Rick asked as he stepped away from her. "We have some pastries and coffee for anyone who visits this morning. You don't have to stay down here alone. Alexis should be arriving soon."

"Why don't you two go on? Have Alexis call when she gets there. I'll come up then."

Rick and Kate each gave Martha a quick peck on the cheek. Rick picked up his book. "We'll see you in a little while, won't we?" Rick sounded unsure as he spoke.

"Yes, dear. You will. Now go on and attend to all the last minute things you have to do," Martha told them as she pushed her son toward the door.

"Martha, if you need anything, just call. We have everything under control about the wedding. The advantage of marrying a best selling author is that he hires people to do the last minute stuff." Kate smiled up at Rick as she spoke.

"I just need to finish a few things here. I'll come up when Alexis arrives, I promise. Now, shoo."

Kate and Rick departed. Martha picked up her green smoothie and poured it down the drain. She pulled a small piece of paper from her pocket. In the same small block letters as the note to Rick, this note read: "Martha, I wish I had been there. A"


	3. Chapter 3

A/N: Several readers requested that I do a chapter with the wedding, but I'll leave the wedding details to the wonderful writers at MilMar.

Disclaimer: All characters are the invention and property of MilMar and ABC, except for one little OC of mine.

March 31, 2019

Martha reads the morning paper as she sips her coffee. She had gone to bed early the night before. Although she tries to hide it, age is catching up with her. Tomorrow her baby boy will turn 50. Her sweet, talented son has been so happy, since he and Katherine have been married. She and Alexis have agreed to babysit her grandson, so Richard and Katherine can have an evening out tomorrow. Alexis could have done it alone, but Martha wants to spend time with both her grandchildren. She truly enjoys watching Alexis dote on the little boy.

When the phone rings, she expects it to be Alexis or Richard or Katherine; it's too early in the day for her theater friends to be calling. The new morning doorman, she can never remember his name, tells her that she has a delivery that she must sign for herself. Rather than take the time to dress, Martha throws a knee length coat over her pajamas and robe and heads out the door. She returns a few minutes later with a padded manila envelope. It looks very similar to the one she received the day before Richard's wedding to Katherine. Her hands tremble slightly as she opens the package. She has neither seen nor heard from Alex, since before the wedding. As she expects, the package contains a book, "Moonraker."

There is no note clipped to the front this time. Martha tamps down her disappointment and opens the book. Inside the front cover are two envelopes. The first is addressed to Richard, and the second is addressed to Martha. Martha opens her envelope with a little trepidation.

She reads the note and sighs. This is a Scarlet O'Hara moment. She'll think about it tomorrow.

The problem she needs to address right now is whether to give Richard the book and the note today or tomorrow. She checks page 105 of the book. There are no little dots this time. The book is a first edition, but unsigned. She holds the envelope addressed to "Richard" for a moment and notices the weight of it. Curiosity overtakes her, and she lays the envelope on the counter. She runs her hand across it and feels an object inside. She examines it more forcefully and determines, due to the shape she can feel, there's a key in the envelope. Katherine is off work today and tomorrow, so she decides to pay her son a visit. If Richard were going to be alone, she would wait until tomorrow. She phones upstairs to the loft. Katherine answers the phone with a laugh in her "Hello".

"Katherine, dear. I hope I'm not interrupting anything."

"Oh no, Martha. Your son is just being his usual silly self. He is entertaining us all at the breakfast table." Kate reassures her mother-in-law. The sound of a little boy giggling punctuates the pause, before Martha responds.

"I am so glad he has made himself useful this morning." Martha hears another small chuckle from Kate in response to her quip. "I received a book for Richard by courier this morning. Do you want to come down here, or should I bring it up to the loft? I don't mind coming up in a few minutes, if you aren't busy. I'd love to cuddle that grandson of mine."

It sounds as if Kate has covered the mouthpiece of the phone and is talking to Rick. "Martha, come on up as soon as you can. Have you eaten? I made Sunday brunch, and there is plenty of food."

"Katherine dear, that would be lovely. I'll be up as soon as I make myself presentable,"

Martha responds with her usual diva flare.

Martha dresses in a colorful paisley top and orange leggings. She leaves her note from Alex on the coffee table, and brings the book and the envelope for Richard with her. She taps on the door to the loft and is almost immediately greeted by Richard with a smiling Ian on his hip.

"Good morning, Mother. That didn't take long." Richard remarks before giving her a peck on the cheek. Martha reaches out and steals her grandson from her son.

"I was in a hurry to see my favorite grandson," Martha jokes as she wiggles a finger into Ian's tummy. Ian smiles around his thumb. He removes his thumb with a pop sound, and then he places a wet kiss on his grandmother's cheek. "Wuv you, Gams ," Ian exclaims as he claps his hands. "I love you, too, darling. I love you, too." Martha coos.

Rick relieves Martha of the book that she had tucked under her arm before she took Ian. He opens it and sees the envelope. "Does the handwriting look the same as last time?"

"Yes, Richard. I'm sure it's from him. In all honesty, it's not the first time he's sent something for your birthday." Rick looks at his mother with a confused/surprised expression on his face. "I didn't make the connection at the time. Every once in a while, a cash deposit would appear in my account back when we were struggling. It took me a couple of years to realize it usually occurred near your birthday." Martha explains to Rick. "Since I couldn't tell you for certain that I had received money from your father, I just didn't mention it at all. It seemed the best way to handle it at the time. When he was here the last time, I found out that my suspicions were correct."

Martha sees a play of multiple emotions cross Rick's face. He stares at the book for a moment, and then walks over to Kate. Ian is babbling to his grandmother with the only intelligible words being Gams, Dada and Mama. Martha tightens her hold on Ian and answers him as if she knows exactly what he is saying. She uses the slightly higher pitched voice that adults use with small children.

"Martha, please come have something to eat. I couldn't decide what to make, so I made pancakes, French toast, bacon, eggs….You know how I cook for Sunday Brunch." Kate laughs as she finishes. Then Kate moves the final step that separates her from her husband and slips her arm around his waist.

Martha places Ian back in his high chair and kisses his head. She picks up a plate, serves herself some eggs, a small piece of French toast, a spoon of fruit salad and a slice of bacon. Kate gives Rick a squeeze, turns to the coffee pot and raises a cup as a silent question to Martha about coffee. "No coffee, thanks dear. I've already had my coffee this morning. Do you have any juice?" Martha responds.

Kate pours Martha a glass of juice, places it on the table next to her and returns to where her husband stands. He had opened the envelope and is reading a letter inside. "Babe, is everything alright?" Kate asks him as she packs away leftovers.

"Yeah, no, it's okay. He's pretty much apologizing for not being around. There's a key, though. It's to a box. He says the box will arrive at Black Pawn in a few days. It will be addressed to me, and he suggests I have Gina keep an eye out for it. The box will have documents in it. He doesn't say what the documents are about," Rick looks at Kate as he finishes, a perplexed expression on his face.

"Darling, it's Sunday. Call Gina in the morning and let's not worry about it today," Martha instructs her son with a feigned air of nonchalance.

"You're right, Mother. Let's just enjoy the day." Rick notices his silent son, who is looking at each of the adults in the room. Ian looks subdued and confused. "Ian, my little man, let's get ready to go have some fun," Rick booms with a smile as he scoops the little boy from his high chair. "Mother, we thought we'd take Ian to the aquarium on Coney Island. He likes the fish."

Ian perks up and exclaims, "Pish an' 'arks, Gams!" Then he displays a toothy grin and mimes biting. The adults all laugh, and so Ian giggles.

"That's right, buddy, they have sharks," Rick jostles his son as he speaks. Then Rick bares his teeth and snaps his jaws open and shut with a click. Ian giggles.

"We plan on leaving at 11, Mother. We have the car service arranged, if you would like to join us. We won't stay long. We'll visit the sharks and perhaps the penguins or the clown fish." Rick addresses his next sentence to Ian, "Want to go see Nemo today?"

Ian raises his hands in the air as he shouts, "'Emo! See 'Emo!"

Kate took Ian from Rick. "If we are going to be ready at 11, I need to get this guy cleaned up and dressed."

Kate, Rick and Ian all look at Martha. She finishes her mouthful of French toast, and then responds to the question on their faces, "I'll have to pass today. I have plans. Sorry. I'd love to tag along sometime in the future, with a little advance notice."

"We will let you know, Mother, when our next family expedition will be. Can you stay until we're ready to leave? Once Kate gets Ian cleaned up, I'm sure he would love to spend a few minutes with you," Rick invites her.

"I have time before my lunch date. You three get ready for your outing. I'll tidy up here, while you do," Martha offers as she rises from the table with her empty plate and glass in her hands.

As Kate ascends the stairs with her son on her hip, she orders Martha, "Don't you clean a thing. It can all wait until later."

"Nonsense, Katherine, I put you two behind schedule with my arrival. I'll just rinse the plates and pop them in the dishwasher. I'll leave the pots and pans for you," Martha chuckles at the end.

Martha stays until the car service arrives, treasuring the time with her grandson as they look at a picture book. Ian echoes the names of the animals after Martha, well as best as he can. The trio of adventurers don their jackets and head for the elevator with Martha.

As Rick leans down to receive the peck on the cheek that Martha offers, she whispers in his ear, "Have fun with your family. Don't stress over your father's letter."

"I will. Thank you, Mother. Next time, we'll make sure to invite you along in advance." Rick promises as he holds the elevator door to keep it open.

"I'll look forward to that. Bye-bye, my sweet boy," Martha pats Ian on the cheek.

"Bye-bye, bye-bye." Ian calls until the elevator doors close.

Martha lets herself into her apartment. She sits on the sofa and picks up Alex's note from the coffee table. She holds the note to her heart. What is she going to say when he calls?

A/N: I had originally expected this to be 3 chapters, but the story seems to think it wants to be 5 chapters. I'll try to update soon, but my husband is ill and in need of some TLC. It may take a little longer than I'd like.


	4. Chapter 4

A/N: Thanks to those who wished my husband well. He is recovering slowly. So while he naps, I'll write. I plan for this to be the penultimate chapter.

Disclaimer: All characters, except my little OC, are the results of the brilliance of MilMar and ABC.

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March 31, 2019 in the afternoon

Ian had loved the sharks and clown fish. He had fallen asleep in his car seat with his new stuffed shark wrapped in his arms. Kate and Rick lean against each other in the seat facing Ian. Rick whispers to Kate, "How long do you think he'll sleep when we get home?"

Kate smiles as she answers softly, "Hopefully for at least an hour. You know his schedule better than I do, Mr. Mom. What did you want to do while he naps?" Kate looks at Rick with one eyebrow raised and a broad grin.

Rick places a kiss on Kate's temple. He looks over at the driver of the SUV limo they are in. "Sorry, maybe later for that. I want to talk about the note from my father," he whispers, and Kate's smile disappears.

Kate places a hand on either side of Rick's face, "Babe, I'll read it when we get home. I agree with your mother, don't dwell on it today. Call Gina in the morning. The package will come when it comes." Kate reinforces her concern with a short, but firm kiss to his lips.

Rick smiles at Kate, "I know, you and Mother are right. It's just hard. Patience is not one of my virtues." Kate smothers her laugh with her hand and looks at Ian. The little darling snoozes on.

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Ian had slept thru the trip home and until he is put down in his toddler bed. He stirs a little, but settles back to sleep as soon as he puts his thumb in his mouth.

Rick hands Kate the letter when they get downstairs. She sits at the counter and reads it as he prepares each of them a coffee. "Does it help to have an apology after all these years?" Kate asks.

"A little. The mystery of the box is what is weighing on my mind," Rick replies as he hands her the coffee. "What could be in it? I understand why he sent it to Black Pawn. We never want a repeat of Paris, but why send documents now and what kind of documents would he want to send to me?"

"If you think it might help, call Gina now," Kate suggests as soothingly as she can.

Rick opens his iPhone and hits the speed dial for Gina. "Gina, sorry to bother you on Sunday." He pauses, "Yes, I'm working on those edits you sent me, and the next chapter. What I'm calling about is a package that is supposed to be delivered to Black Pawn and addressed to me." Rick pauses and listens to Gina for a minute. "It's personal. I don't know what's in it. It's a birthday gift from a family member." He listens to Gina again.

"Not all of Kate's family members have our address, okay?" Another pause. "Anyway, could you ask the mailroom staff to keep an eye out, please? As soon as it comes, I want to know." After a longer pause, "Thanks, Gina. It's supposed to have something special in it." Rick smiles before he ends the call, "If it's not during his naptime, I'll bring Ian with me. He loves getting spoiled by everyone at Black Pawn. Bye."

"Thanks, Kate. It does help to have that taken care of. I hope you don't mind the little fib about your family sending it," Rick asks tentatively.

"I know that Gina knows nothing about your father. We can just blame it on Aunt Theresa," Kate reassures him. "Now, let me help you relax before our son wakes up."

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April 1, 2019

"Wake up, old man!" Kate whispers into Rick's ear. "I can't believe I'm married to someone half a century old," she laughs as she starts to pepper his face with kisses.

Rick's eyes pop open, and he grabs Kate with a growl, "I'll show you how old I am."

The baby monitor interrupts with Ian's call, "Daddy, Momma Uppy. Daaadaaa!"

They both moan, and Kate rises from the bed, "I'll get him, Birthday Boy. We'll be back in a minute. And I'll take you up on that offer later." Kate hops up from the bed, looks back at Rick and winks.

After breakfast, Gina calls. Rick grabs the phone. "I'll be over in about an hour, and yes I'll bring Ian." He ends the call and walks over to where Ian is playing with his shark toy, "Hey buddy, want to go see Ms. Gina?"

Ian pushes off from the floor and runs over to his father, "Uppy, Dada. See Ms. Gina. Canny, Daddy."

"That's right, Buddy. Ms. Gina has candy." Rick looks over at Kate. "Do you want to come or just wait here?"

"I should probably come with you, but I'm not ready to venture out. You two go ahead. I'll grab a cab in a few minutes, and meet you there. Are you going to take the SUV? A car seat is already in there," Kate answers.

"We'll just wait for you. All you need is to throw on some jeans. You look beautiful already," Rick assures her as he picks up Ian.

"Okay, I'll just be a minute. You get Ian in his jacket and shoes," Kate calls over her shoulder as she walks into the bedroom.

"Ian, does she forget who is Mr. Mom around here?" Rick asks as he swings his son to sit on his shoulder. "Let's get you ready to go see Ms. Gina."

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Rick called his mother on the drive back and asked her to meet them at the loft. She was surprised the package had already arrived at Black Pawn.

After settling Ian with some toys, Rick opens the wooden box with the key. There is a note on top of the papers inside, "Son, I know you always want to know the story. I hope these papers will help you to understand a little of mine. Dad"

The first paper Rick removes from the box is a birth certificate. "The name on the certificate is James Alexander Craig," Rick looks at his mother, "Is that the name he gave you when you met?"

Martha smiles at her son, "All I knew was Alex. He didn't give me a last name."

"You never told me my middle name was my Dad's name!" Rick caresses the document as he speaks. "His parents names are on here, of course. His father was James Andrew Craig, and his mother's maiden name was Lily Marie Clark. He was born in New York. This is a certified copy. He wrote a note on the bottom. It says, 'My dad went by Jack, because of his initials. Jack's son wasn't too far from the truth. That's why I used Jackson in Paris.'" Rick read the note aloud, and placed the birth certificate on the counter. "A copy of his diploma from Columbia is in here. Alexis will like that. There are pictures of his parents, of him as a boy and as a teenager. He even included his parent's obituaries. His dad died of a heart attack at 86. His mother died in a car accident, when she was 62." Rick held up each piece of paper as he referred to it. He stared at the pictures of his grandparents, drinking in the features that connected his face to theirs. He gazes at his wife with tears welling in his eyes. Martha looks over his shoulder and notices the blue eyes of Alex's mother.

Martha slides her arm around Rick's waist as Kate loops her arm around his. Each woman leans her cheek against a shoulder. Martha speaks first, "Alex said he knew you were his son after he did the math and saw your name. I never told you about your middle name, because I didn't want you to search for him. Once you were old enough to have such a discussion, I had already discovered how tenacious you are. I didn't want you to get trapped in a futile search for him."

"Babe, are you alright," Kate gently asks him. She looks down as she feels a tug on her pants leg. "Hello, my baby, do you need something?"

"Dada sad? Uppy, Momma. Needa kissy Daddy."

Rick leans down and swings his son up so they are face to face. "Daddy isn't sad, little man. He is just overflowing with love right now." Ian makes kissing noises, and Rick brings him closer so Ian can place the wet kisses on Rick's cheek. Rick kisses Ian's forehead and hugs him close. "Daddy is having a wonderful birthday."

Ian claps his hands and then hugs Rick around the neck. "Want cake. Where cake?"

Rick laughs, "We'll have cake after Alexis gets here. That will be after naptime."

"Yay, Lexi comin'." Ian throws his little arms up in celebration.

Rick places the happy boy on the floor, and Ian returns to his toys. Rick looks at his mother and his wife "He gave me some answers for my birthday. Not all the answers, but it's more than I ever had before. I'm sure Alexis is going to be thrilled that Dad went to Columbia." Rick smiles at the lovely women on either side of him.

RCKB RCKB RCKB RCKB RCKB RCKB RCKB RCKB RCKB RCKB RCKB RCKB

Martha returns to her apartment an hour later and sits at her desk. They had all looked at the pictures. Martha asked Rick to make her a copy of the picture of Alex as a teenager. He had done it immediately with some fancy copy machine he had. It was the one picture closest to the Alex she had met. She wishes she had a picture of Alex as the handsome man of her memory. She would always have her memory of that night.

She checks the clock. She has some time before she needs to go back to Richard's loft. Opening the drawer in her desk, she removes the note from Alex and places the picture in the drawer. She changes her mind and takes the picture back out. She reads the note again and addresses the picture, "How could you ask me that now?"

RCKB RCKB RCKB RCKB RCKB RCKB RCKB RCKB RCKB RCKB RCKB RCKB

A/N: The last name for Alex isn't for Daniel Craig. NF said Wikipedia has his middle name wrong. Somewhere, I don't remember where, I read it's actually Craig not Christopher. Also, I am my own Beta. If I missed something, let me know and I'll fix it.


	5. Chapter 5

A/N: Thanks to everyone for the follows, favorites and reviews. Alex's character surprised me as the chapter developed. The chapter got a little long, so I broke it into two parts. I'll post the 6th chapter (part 2 of Chapter 5) in an hour or less. That will be the end of the story.

Disclaimer: I just borrowed these characters from the fabulous Andrew Marlowe and the amazing writing staff at ABC's Castle.

April 3, 2019 11:30 am

Martha sits on her sofa staring at the phone on the coffee table. She hasn't been this nervous, since her first starring role's opening night on Broadway. Alex's note is clutched in her hand. She reads it again:

Martha, my love,

I'm told that it's safe for me to come in from the cold. They recommend that I do this in one of the less populated areas out west. Will you come with me? I want you with me. Think about this. I'll call at noon on Wednesday.

A

Martha has pondered the note for days. She has always loved Alex, but she doesn't truly know him. When he was doing his job in New York that last time, she learned that there was a side to Alex she never expected. Could she leave New York? Yes, but could she leave her family? Monday evening with her grandchildren, while Richard and Katherine were out celebrating, had been perfect. Ian was such a sweet little boy. Watching Alexis with her little brother was a joy that Martha treasured. Having that warm, little boy sleeping on her shoulder pulled such tender feelings from her heart. How could she leave that behind? How could she leave Richard to move somewhere with a man, that she honestly barely knows?

If this were a fairy tale, Alex would be a knight in shining armor returned from a quest. They would live happily ever after with their family close by. But it wasn't a fairy tale, and he wants to move her across the country. If anyone asks her who she is, the first thing she would say is, "I'm an actress." She'd be lying. Her current, true identity is a mother and grandmother. She may not have been the best mother in the world, she knows she made many mistakes, but she had tried to do her best. She had fallen in love with that blue-eyed baby with the mop of hair, even before she saw him. She has loved Richard since she first felt him kick inside her womb. She didn't want to spend the rest of her life sleeping alone, but she knew her place was in New York. Alexis and Ian have no other grandmother. Jim treats them both as his grandchildren, but only grandmothers can spoil their grandchildren in that special way. A tear pops out and glides down her cheek. If only….

The phone rings. It's from an unknown number. Martha's hands tremble as she reaches for the phone. "Hello," is all that Martha says.

"Martha, did you think about my note? I realize it's a lot to ask of you," Alex jumps right into the conversation.

"Let me say first, that Richard loved the contents of the package you sent. That was a wonderful gesture, and Katherine tells me that he has read and re-read all the information," Martha responds.

"I know that he wants to know the whole story. I hope one day to spend some time with him and answer his questions. I want to spend all my time with you," Alex's voice has a slight note of apprehension at the end. Martha's acting training picks up on the nuance.

Martha decides not to let him continue to hope, "Alex, darling, I can't leave my family. Be honest, we barely know each other. If you could find a way to live close, we could pursue the possibility of a relationship. Have you ever seen your grandson?"

Alex releases the breath he was holding. He knew it was probable that she'd say, "No." He was not expecting her to offer an alternative to his plan. "I've seen Ian from afar. He looks a lot like Richard did, when he was small. His hair color is like Kate's. I've watched Ian play in the park. I pretend to be a birdwatcher, so I can use binoculars. He has my mother's eyes, just like Richard."

"Alex, would it be safe to live in upstate New York? Somewhere close enough to have a relationship with your grandchildren? Alexis is 25 now, and she's never even met you," Martha questions him.

"I don't know. If I could live closer, would you be willing to be a part of my life?" Alex asks with his heart in his throat.

"I **won't** move away from my grandson. Alexis is a woman. She is in a relationship with a wonderful young man. We shop and dine-out together, when she has the time. The years that I lived with her and Richard were some of the best years of my life. But Ian, Ian is the joy in my life. I would be willing to spend some time with you, but not if I couldn't be around my grandchildren consistently. Richard raised Alexis alone. He had an occasional babysitter, but no nannies. I helped out when I could, but I was a very busy actress when Alexis was small. Richard is home with Ian, just like he was with Alexis. This time he has Katherine, of course, but I spend a lot of time with Ian. I will not give that up, for anyone." Even Martha is surprised at the conviction in her voice as she ends her statement.

"I will talk to my contacts and see if your option is a possibility. I won't do anything that might endanger Richard or his family. It's why I stayed away all these years. When Richard was born, my career had already progressed to the point that it would have been foolish to come near you two. Now, I seem to have out-lived my enemies," Alex ended with a small chuckle.

"I'm going to the house in the Hamptons tomorrow. Richard has arranged a car service to drive me up. Richard and the rest of the family are coming up on Friday evening. I don't want to have this decision weighing on me this weekend. Decide what you want to do by Friday. I know that may be unfair of me to ask, but life isn't fair, is it? You have my cell number," Martha finished.

"I understand. I had hoped….." Alex trailed off and was silent for a minute. "I had dreamed that you'd say yes. That was selfish of me. I've been alone and in control for decades, but I should have considered how much I am asking of you. When do you leave for the Hamptons on Friday?"

"The car service picks me up at 10 am. I should be at the house no later than 1 pm, even if the traffic is bad," Martha replied softly.

"I'll call at two, if that's alright," was Alex's only response.

"Until then," Martha finished the call and hung up.

Martha rises from the sofa, walks into the kitchen and pours a glass of wine. She takes one long drink, and places the glass back on the counter. She returns to the coffee table, picks up her phone and presses 2 on her iPhone. Richard answers her call after the second ring, "Hello, Mother, to what do I owe the pleasure." Martha hears Ian call out "Gams?" in the background.

"Richard, do you have any errands to run? I feel the need for some one-on-one time with my grandson," Martha asks him cheerily.

"Why, Mother, I'm sure I could drop in on the precinct and soak up some inspiration for my book. Thank you," Richard sounds almost giddy.

"I'll be right up, darling," Martha ends the call.

April 5, 2019 1:45 pm

Martha places her phone on the breakfast table and gazes out at the grey sea through the window. It was a chilly day so close to the ocean. The housekeeping service, that Richard uses to keep the house clean and to open it for their visits, had filled the fridge in preparation for the family. Martha was nibbling on some fruit salad that she was sure Anna, the usual housekeeper, had left next to some delicious cheeses in the fridge. Due to the chill in the air, she has a cup of coffee sitting next to her bowl of fruit. The cookie jar has a couple dozen oatmeal cookies in it. Anna knows that Ian likes them without raisins. Martha plans to eat one of the cookies before her family arrives.

Martha hears someone knocking at the door. She picks up her phone and glances at the time. Alex is supposed to call in 10 minutes. She'll have to get rid of whoever is at the door and quickly. She looks out at her visitor thru the sidelight of the door. The man wears a hat and sunglasses with his collar turned up on his coat. When he sees her thru the glass, he removes his sunglasses and smiles. It's Alex. Martha gasps at the sight, then takes a deep breath and opens the door. "I didn't expect to see you!"

Alex smiles, "May I come in?"

"Oh, of course. I was just in the breakfast room waiting for a call," Martha chuckles.

"We need to talk face-to-face, to make a decision this important," Alex answers seriously.

"I would have liked to have that type of discussion 50 years ago," Martha manages to hide her bitterness.

"Let's sit down and let me show you what I managed to arrange," Alex smiles as he speaks.

"You look quite pleased with yourself. Come in the kitchen. Would you like some coffee or tea or other liquid refreshment?" Martha leads Alex toward the kitchen.

"I've actually been here before. No one was home, of course. I just wanted to check the security and ….."Alex trails off when he sees Martha's face.

"As Katherine so often tells our son, that is creepy," Martha chastises him.

"Sometimes, I just had a desperate need to feel like I was doing something, anything to take care of him. I know you'll never understand. You were there for him his whole life," Alex appears sad for a fleeting moment and then recovers his neutral expression.

"Was there ever a possibility that you could have changed what happened?" Martha really wants the answer to this desperately. They have stopped in the hallway and are standing barely a foot apart.

"Not after I returned to the US just after Richard was born. If I had stayed that night we had together, we both would probably have been killed. My follow-up mission sealed my future as an intelligence asset. There was no going back after that. I can't explain it in anymore detail than that, I'm sorry," Alex finishes.

"Would you like a coffee?" Martha turns toward the kitchen again. "You can hang your jacket in that closet." Martha tells him as they pass the closet.

"Coffee would be great," Alex calls as he stops to hang up his jacket. He removes a stuffed envelope from the pocket.

Martha pours Alex a cup, dumps her cold coffee and refills her cup. Once they have settled at the table, Alex restarts the conversation, "Katherine's father has a cabin in the Adirondacks. After you suggested that I find a place in New York, I looked in that area for a place." He opens the envelope he had taken from his jacket. "I found a cabin for sale, that is less than a mile from his. I put in an offer without physically seeing it. I can remodel it to suit my needs once I buy it. The important thing is the location. It won't seem at all unusual for Richard and his family to go to that area for visits. I printed out pictures of the cabin. I know you're not the cabin type, but it would be…"

Martha interrupts Alex, "Pictures, let me see. Would you let me help decorate?"

Alex smiles broadly. Her reaction is so much more than he had hoped for. He spreads the pictures across the table. The cabin has a large screened porch and is lakefront. There are pictures of the great room with a view of the lake. The room is unfurnished, but Martha can see that there is plenty of room for seating and a dining area. The room has a beautiful fireplace on one wall. The kitchen area is as nice as the one in her Manhattan apartment. There are 2 bedrooms in the pictures. The master has sliding doors that face the lake. The smaller bedroom has windows that look out into the woods. There is a picture of the master bath, and that makes Martha want to call a decorator immediately. She shivers at the maroon tile. The main bath for the cabin has a lovely ivory tile.

"There is a 2nd floor that is currently unfinished. There's enough space to put a 2nd master bedroom up there for Richard and Katherine and 2 more bedrooms and a bath. I talked to the realtor who is handling the sale. She assures me that there's enough space on the second floor for all that. I have money, Martha. I've never had the opportunity to own a home. My employer picked up my living expenses while I was on assignment, while continuing to deposit my salary in a Swiss account. I can pay cash for the cabin, and I have enough to do any remodeling you want. My pension from my years of service will keep us comfortable. I know you won't want to be there all the time. I'll take whatever I can get. What do you think?" Alex looks at Martha with a small smile.

"Richard and Katherine will be here later this evening. Do you want to stay and be here when I discuss this with them? It's a decision that affects all of us," Martha looks at Alex with glistening eyes.

"Perhaps, you should call Richard and warn him that I'm here," Alex suggests.

Martha picks up her phone and speed dials her son. "Mother, is something wrong?" Rick answers with concern.

"No, dear. The person that sent you a package this week is here with me. He wants to know if he could stay this evening? We have something to show you," Martha sounds almost mischievous as she speaks.

"Really! He's there! Don't let him leave before we get there. Promise me, Mother, that you won't let him leave," Rick is obviously excited. "Wait, are you alright? He's not working, is he?"

"He is retired. We'll be here when you get here," Martha reassures her son.

"Okay, alright, umm, we'll see you in a few hours," Rick stumbles thru his words before he disconnects.


	6. Chapter 6

A/N: Here's the end of the story. I knew when I started what Martha would say to Alex's offer. Alex surprised me with how he reacted. I never knew that characters could do that to an author. Thanks again for the follows, etc.

Disclaimer: All characters except for Ian are owned by MilMar and ABC. I just borrowed them for a little while.

April 5, 2019 late afternoon

Alex and Martha moved to the sunroom with their coffee. They chatted about little things, looked at the ocean and sat in companionable silence at times. After a dinner of sandwiches and fruit salad, they each carried a glass of wine to the den and sat on the sofa. Alex draped his arm around Martha's shoulders. She rested her head on his shoulder, and they both reveled in the sensation. Around 8 pm they hear the car pulling up in front of the house. They rise to greet their son and his family at the door.

Rick walks in with a sleeping Ian against his shoulder. Kate is right behind him. When he sees his parents together and smiling, Rick smiles nervously in return. Kate is a little more reserved and stays close to her husband. "I'll take Ian and tuck him in to bed. Why don't you and your parents talk? I'll be just a few minutes," Kate tells Rick as she reaches for her son.

Ian stirs a little with the transition. He opens his eyes and sees his grandmother. "Gams, kissy," he mumbles sleepily.

"Good night, my sweet boy. Here's your kissy. You sleep tight," Martha rubs Ian's back and places a kiss on his temple.

"'Night, Gams. Daddy, kissy," Ian mumbles as he tries to stay awake for his kiss.

Rick kisses his son and murmurs his good night and an "I love you". Kate takes the little boy up the stairs.

"So, Dad. Mother said you're retired," Rick starts the conversation as they enter the den. He drops his coat on a chair.

"Yes, I've come in from the cold. I plan to keep a low profile for whatever time I have left on this planet, but I want to have some kind of a relationship with the only family I have. Your family," Alex responds.

"Will that put my family in any danger?" Rick looks his father straight in the eyes.

"The powers that be believe that I can lose myself in some less populated area and not have any problems. I tried to convince your mother to join me in the wilds of the west, but she said no." Rick raises his eyebrows and looks at his mother in response to his father's statement.

"I told Alex that I would not move away from my grandchildren and my son. I'm not just running off with a man that I barely know, even if he is the father of my son," Martha pointedly tells Rick.

Rick looks at the floor. He is so tempted to make a snarky comment, but decides that his mother does not deserve it right now. "Since she won't move, and obviously my family is staying in New York, what are you going to do?" he asks his father.

"I have…." Alex begins, but stops as Kate joins them. "It might be easier if we go in the breakfast room where I have the paperwork that I showed Martha," Alex continues with a smile directed at Kate.

They all go to the kitchen. Rick grabs a beer from the fridge and Martha pours the others each a glass of wine. They take their refreshments and sit around the table. Kate notices the pictures on the table and examines the one that shows the outside of the cabin. "I recognize this cabin. It's not too far from Dad's cabin and sits lakefront. It was built to replace a cabin that burned. They were building it while I was at Dad's cabin that one summer. Dad recently told me it was for sale. I think he was hoping we'd buy it," Kate looks at Rick as she finishes.

"I placed a bid on it today. I bid above their asking price, so I feel confident I'll be successful. My previous employer has created an identity for me to use in my retirement. I'll be James Alexander Craig once again. My cover story is that I worked around the world doing whatever I could for the past decades. I will be retiring to the Adirondacks. I've asked Martha to help me decorate and remodel the place. She wants your input, before she makes a decision," Alex finishes and looks at Rick.

Martha opens her mouth, but Rick speaks before she can utter a sound. "What assurances do I have that we won't have a repeat of Paris? I will not allow you to imperil my children."

"Richard, according to the my former employers, any person who might have the interest and the wherewithal to come after me has already gone to meet St. Peter. I have the means to retire anywhere on this planet that I wish to. My pension from Uncle Sam goes into a Swiss account. Any withdrawals that I make, I am quite careful to have them bounce around the globe before they land in one of my internet based bank accounts. I doubt that any relatives of my deceased enemies would expect me to retire to a cabin in the woods," Alex explains to his son. "They might expect me to retire to a tropical island, but not to Lake George. It's not where any of them would go."

"Mother, what do you want to do? You've always followed your heart, and the results have not always been what you'd hoped," Rick cautions his mother.

"I hoped for years that your father would come and rescue us from the tough times we had. It never happened. I am not agreeing to move in with him exclusively. If you are comfortable with the arrangement, I would like to spend some time with him at his cabin periodically. He hopes to remodel the 2nd floor of that cabin to accommodate visits by your family. Since Katherine's father's cabin is so close, perhaps that is an unnecessary action. I feel sure it would be unwise for him to spend any time with us in New York, since Detectives Ryan and Esposito might want to arrest him," Martha surprises everyone with her well-considered thoughts. Martha looks at Alex, "We had magic once upon a time. I'd be lying, if I said I didn't long to recapture that magic."

Kate speaks up as the elder lovers stare at each other. "I understand your feelings, Martha. That magic is a powerful thing." Kate looks at Rick. "My concern is that we not confuse Ian. He is too young to keep any secrets that we may have to keep. My request would be that he not address Alex as'Grandpa', unless Martha and Alex get married. I'd also like Rick to refrain from calling Alex 'Dad' in Ian's presence. When Ian is older and can understand why we want to keep this secret, then he can be told the truth."

"I can do that, Kate. No problem. Is that acceptable to you," Rick spoke first to his wife and then to his Dad.

"Richard, I will do whatever you two feel is necessary. I gave my country the best years of my life. I just want the opportunity to spend the last years of my life with my family," Alex looked from his son to his daughter-in-law to Martha as he spoke.

The baby monitor that Kate had brought down from Ian's bedroom came to life. Ian called out to his father, "Daaadee, firsty. Daaadee, drinky, Momma."

Rick rose from the table. "The consequence of being Mr. Mom is that he calls for me first. I'll go and get him. It's time for him to meet Gram's friend, Alex."

Fin.


End file.
